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Kunze J, Harvati K, Hotz G, Karakostis FA. Humanlike manual activities in Australopithecus. J Hum Evol 2024; 196:103591. [PMID: 39366305 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/31/2024] [Indexed: 10/06/2024]
Abstract
The evolution of the human hand is a topic of great interest in paleoanthropology. As the hand can be involved in a vast array of activities, knowledge regarding how it was used by early hominins can yield crucial information on the factors driving biocultural evolution. Previous research on early hominin hands focused on the overall bone shape. However, while such approaches can inform on mechanical abilities and the evolved efficiency of manipulation, they cannot be used as a definite proxy for individual habitual activity. Accordingly, it is crucial to examine bone structures more responsive to lifetime biomechanical loading, such as muscle attachment sites or internal bone architecture. In this study, we investigate the manual entheseal patterns of Australopithecus afarensis, Australopithecus africanus, and Australopithecus sediba through the application of the validated entheses-based reconstruction of activity method. Using a comparative sample of later Homo and three great ape genera, we analyze the muscle attachment site proportions on the thumb, fifth ray, and third intermediate phalanx to gain insight into the habitual hand use of Australopithecus. We use a novel statistical procedure to account for the effects of interspecies variation in overall size and ray proportions. Our results highlight the importance of certain muscles of the first and fifth digits for humanlike hand use. In humans, these muscles are required for variable in-hand manipulation and are activated during stone-tool production. The entheses of A. sediba suggest muscle activation patterns consistent with a similar suite of habitual manual activities as in later Homo. In contrast, A. africanus and A. afarensis display a mosaic entheseal pattern that combines indications of both humanlike and apelike manipulation. Overall, these findings provide new evidence that some australopith species were already habitually engaging in humanlike manipulation, even if their manual dexterity was likely not as high as in later Homo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Kunze
- Paleoanthropology, Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Rümelinstraße 23, Tübingen D-72070, Germany.
| | - Katerina Harvati
- Paleoanthropology, Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Rümelinstraße 23, Tübingen D-72070, Germany; DFG Centre of Advanced Studies 'Words, Bones, Genes, Tools', Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Rümelinstraße 23, Tübingen D-72070, Germany
| | - Gerhard Hotz
- Anthropological Collection, Natural History Museum Basel, Augustinergasse 2, Basel S-4051, Switzerland; Integrative Prehistory and Archaeological Science, University of Basel, Spalenring 145, Basel S-4055, Switzerland
| | - Fotios Alexandros Karakostis
- Paleoanthropology, Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Rümelinstraße 23, Tübingen D-72070, Germany; DFG Centre of Advanced Studies 'Words, Bones, Genes, Tools', Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Rümelinstraße 23, Tübingen D-72070, Germany; Anthropological Collection, Natural History Museum Basel, Augustinergasse 2, Basel S-4051, Switzerland; Integrative Prehistory and Archaeological Science, University of Basel, Spalenring 145, Basel S-4055, Switzerland.
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2
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Proffitt T, Pacome SS, Reeves JS, Wittig RM, Luncz LV. The archaeological visibility of chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) nut-cracking. J Hum Evol 2024; 195:103582. [PMID: 39213793 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 08/17/2024] [Accepted: 08/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
The earliest evidence for complex tool use in the archaeological record dates to 3.3 Ma. While wooden tools may have been used by our earliest ancestors, the evidence is absent due to poor preservation. However, insights into possible early hominin wooden tool use can be gained from observing the tool-use practices of our closest living relatives, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). By using stone hammers used to crack various nuts, chimpanzees leave a durable material signature comprised of formal tools and associated diagnostic fragments. While the archaeological evidence of chimpanzee wooden tool use is temporary, the combination of stone hammers and wooden anvils can create a more enduring lithic record. This study explores the lithic assemblages associated with wooden and stone anvil use at nut-cracking sites in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire, using technological and use-wear analyses. Our results indicate clear differences in density, fracture patterns, and use-wear in the lithic records between wooden anvil and stone anvil sites. New archaeological excavations at six chimpanzee nut-cracking sites reveal that the anvils' material directly influences the visibility of nut-cracking evidence in the archaeological record. By examining the nature of the lithic signatures associated with wooden anvil and stone anvil use by chimpanzees, we can formulate hypotheses about the probability of such behaviors being preserved and identifiable in the Plio-Pleistocene hominin archaeological record. The variability in material signatures from nut-cracking on different anvils suggests that stone anvils leave a clear archaeological record. Evidence for wooden anvil use is likely underrepresented due to the more ephemeral nature of the associated percussive damage and material signature. It may, however, still be possible, albeit challenging, to identify wooden anvil use in the archaeological record.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomos Proffitt
- Technological Primates Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig 04103, Germany; Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArEHB), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro 8005-139, Portugal.
| | - Serge Soiret Pacome
- Centre de Recherche en Ecologie (CRE), Université Nangui Abrogoua, Abidjan, 08 BP 109 Abidjan 08, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Jonathan S Reeves
- Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArEHB), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro 8005-139, Portugal
| | - Roman M Wittig
- Ape Social Mind Lab, Institut des Sciences Cognitives, CNRS UMR 5229, 67 Boulevard Pinel, Bron 69675, France; Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, 01 BP 1301, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Lydia V Luncz
- Technological Primates Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig 04103, Germany
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Eteson B, Affinito S, Moos ET, Karakostis FA. "How Handy was early hominin 'know-how'?" An experimental approach exploring efficient early stone tool use. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024:e25019. [PMID: 39222398 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.25019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 08/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The appearance of early lithic industries has been associated with the gradual development of unique biomechanical and cognitive abilities in hominins, including human-like precision grasping and basic learning and/or communicating capacities. These include tools used for activities exclusively associated with hominin contexts (cutting flakes) and hammerstones utilized for behaviors shared with non-human primates (e.g., nut-cracking). However, no previous experimental research has focused on comparing the factors affecting efficiency between these two key behavioral patterns and their evolutionary implications. MATERIALS AND METHODS Here, we address this gap with an experimental design involving participants with varying tool-related experience levels (i.e., no experience, theoretical-only experience, and extensive practical knapping expertise) to monitor their success rates, biometrics, and surface electromyography (sEMG) recordings from eight important hand and forearm muscles. RESULTS Our results showed that practical experience had a substantial impact on flake-cutting efficiency, allowing participants to achieve greater success rates with substantially less muscle effort. This relationship between success rates and muscle effort was not observed for the nut-cracking task. Moreover, even though practical experience did not significantly benefit nut-cracking success, experts exhibited increased rates of self-improvement in that task. DISCUSSION Altogether, these experimental findings suggest that the ability to practice and retain tool-using knowledge played a fundamental role in the subsistence strategies and adaptability of early hominins, potentially providing the cognitive basis for conceptualizing the first intentional tool production strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brienna Eteson
- DFG Center for Advanced Studies "Words, Bones, Genes, Tools", Department of Geosciences, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Simona Affinito
- DFG Center for Advanced Studies "Words, Bones, Genes, Tools", Department of Geosciences, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Elena T Moos
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Schloss Hohentübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Fotios Alexandros Karakostis
- DFG Center for Advanced Studies "Words, Bones, Genes, Tools", Department of Geosciences, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Paleoanthropology, Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Integrative Prehistory and Archaeological Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Falótico T, Macedo AC, de Jesus MA, Espinola T, Valença T. Nut-cracking success and efficiency in two wild capuchin monkey populations. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240161. [PMID: 39092146 PMCID: PMC11293797 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Capuchins can employ several strategies to deal with environmental challenges, such as using stone tools to access encapsulated resources. Nut-cracking is customary in several capuchin populations and can be affected by ecological and cultural factors; however, data on success and efficiency are only known for two wild populations. In this work, using camera traps, we assessed palm nut-cracking success and efficiency in two newly studied wild bearded capuchin populations (Sapajus libidinosus) and compared them with other sites. We tested the hypothesis that the overall success and efficiency of nut-cracking would be similar between sites when processing similar resources, finding partial support for it. Although using hammerstones of different sizes, capuchins had a similar success frequency. However, efficiency (number of strikes to crack a nut) was different, with one population being more efficient. We also tested whether success and efficiency varied between sexes in adults. We predict adult males would be more successful and efficient when cracking hard nuts. We found no differences between the sexes in one site but found sex differences in the other, although also for the low-resistant nut, which was unexpected. Our data add to the knowledge of capuchin nut-cracking behaviour flexibility, variance and potential cultural traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Falótico
- School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Capuchin Culture Project, Neotropical Primates Research Group, São Paulo, Brazil
- Technological Primates Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Amanda C. Macedo
- School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Matheus A. de Jesus
- School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tatiana Espinola
- School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema, Brazil
| | - Tatiane Valença
- School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Capuchin Culture Project, Neotropical Primates Research Group, São Paulo, Brazil
- Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
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Nitrini R. Why did humans surpass all other primates? Are our brains so different? Part 1. Dement Neuropsychol 2024; 18:e20240087P1. [PMID: 38628564 PMCID: PMC11019717 DOI: 10.1590/1980-5764-dn-2024-0087p1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
This review is based on a conference presented in June 2023. Its main objective is to explain the cognitive differences between humans and non-human primates (NHPs) focusing on characteristics of their brains. It is based on the opinion of a clinical neurologist and does not intend to go beyond an overview of this complex topic. As language is the main characteristic differentiating humans from NHPs, this review is targeted at their brain networks related to language. NHPs have rudimentary forms of language, including primitive lexical/semantic signs. Humans have a much broader lexical/semantic repertory, but syntax is the most important characteristic, which is probably unique to Homo sapiens. Angular gyrus, Broca's area, temporopolar areas, and arcuate fascicle, are much more developed in humans. These differences may explain why NHPs did not develop a similar language to ours. Language had a profound influence on all other higher nervous activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Nitrini
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, São Paulo SP, Brazil
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Nitrini R. Why did humans surpass all other primates? Are our brains so different? Part 2. Dement Neuropsychol 2024; 18:e20240087P2. [PMID: 38628562 PMCID: PMC11019716 DOI: 10.1590/1980-5764-dn-2024-0087p2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The second part of this review is an attempt to explain why only Homo sapiens developed language. It should be remarked that this review is based on the opinion of a clinical neurologist and does not intend to go beyond an overview of this complex topic. The progressive development of language was probably due to the expansion of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and its networks. PFC is the largest area of the human cerebral cortex and is much more expanded in humans than in other primates. To achieve language, several other functions should have been attained, including abstraction, reasoning, expanded working memory, and executive functions. All these functions are strongly related to PFC and language had a profound retroactive impact on them all. Language and culture produce anatomic and physiological modifications in the brain. Learning to read is presented as an example of how culture modifies the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Nitrini
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, São Paulo SP, Brazil
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Falótico T, Valença T, Verderane MP, Santana BC, Sirianni G. Mapping nut-cracking in a new population of wild capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) at Ubajara National Park, Brazil. Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23595. [PMID: 38224002 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Populations of bearded capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) vary in their tool use behaviors, with some of this divergence regarded as culturally determined. The use of stone tools, primarily to crack open encased foods, is widespread among bearded capuchins living in dry habitats (Caatinga and Cerrado). Significant diversity in targets, processed foods, material, and size of tools is observed across populations. However, so far, only a few sites have been systematically studied, and we are still distant from a representative picture of the range of variation in capuchins' culture. In this study, we did a systematic assessment of stone tool use sites in the Ubajara National Park (UNP), in the Caatinga region of Ceará, Brazil, recording and measuring stone tools, processed foods, and available lithic resources as part of an extensive comparative research, the CapCult project. We found indirect and direct evidence that capuchin monkeys at UNP customarily use hammerstones and anvils to process at least two species of palm nuts, macauba (Acrocomia aculeata) and the harder babaçu (Attalea speciosa). Most of the anvils were rock surfaces and had leftovers of only one palm nut species. The hammerstones used to process both palm nuts were not significantly different in weight, although the ones used for Ac. aculeata were longer. We found a higher frequency of nut-cracking sites in the drier lowland area of the park, reflecting differences in the density of the most common palm species, Ac. aculeata, and availability of raw stone material. The stone tool use observed in UNP is within the scope of previously reported in savannah capuchin populations. Our study widens the knowledge of stone tool-use diversity in wild capuchin monkeys, which could contribute to shaping conservation policy, including cultural traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Falótico
- School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Capcult Project, Neotropical Primates Research Group, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Technological Primates Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tatiane Valença
- School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Capcult Project, Neotropical Primates Research Group, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Michele P Verderane
- Capcult Project, Neotropical Primates Research Group, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Beatriz C Santana
- School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Giulia Sirianni
- Department of Ancient World Studies, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council (ISTC, CNR), Rome, Italy
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Diehl Rodriguez R, Tavares MCH, Brucki SMD, Takada LT, Otaduy MCG, da Graça Morais Martin M, Kimie Suemoto C, Grinberg LT, Leite CC, Tomaz C, Nitrini R. Bearded capuchin monkeys as a model for Alzheimer's disease. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6287. [PMID: 38491154 PMCID: PMC10943096 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56791-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The absence of a natural animal model is one of the main challenges in Alzheimer's disease research. Despite the challenges of using nonhuman primates in studies, these animals can bridge mouse models and humans, as nonhuman primates are phylogenetically closer to humans and can spontaneously develop AD-type pathology. The capuchin monkey, a New World primate, has recently attracted attention due to its skill in creating and using instruments. We analyzed one capuchin brain using structural 7 T MRI and performed a neuropathological evaluation of three animals. Alzheimer-type pathology was found in the two of the capuchins. Widespread β-amyloid pathology was observed, mainly in focal deposits with variable morphology and a high density of mature plaques. Notably, plaque-associated dystrophic neurites associated with disruption of axonal transport and early cytoskeletal alteration were frequently found. Unlike in other species of New World monkeys, cerebral arterial angiopathy was not the predominant form of β-amyloid pathology. Additionally, abnormal aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau, resembling neurofibrillary pathology, were observed in the temporal and frontal cortex. Astrocyte hypertrophy surrounding plaques was found, suggesting a neuroinflammatory response. These findings indicate that aged capuchin monkeys can spontaneously develop Alzheimer-type pathology, indicating that they may be an advantageous animal model for research in Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Diehl Rodriguez
- Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Group, Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo, 255 Dr. Enéas Carvalho de Aguiar, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05403-000, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ressonância Magnética em Neurorradiologia (LIM-44) da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, 250 Dr. Enéas Carvalho de Aguiar, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Maria Clotilde H Tavares
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Brasília, DF, CEP 70910-900, Brazil
- Primate Center, Institute of Biology, University of Brasília, Park Way-Núcleo Bandeirante, Brasília, DF, CEP 71750-000, Brazil
| | - Sonia Maria Dozzi Brucki
- Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Group, Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo, 255 Dr. Enéas Carvalho de Aguiar, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Leonel Tadao Takada
- Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Group, Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo, 255 Dr. Enéas Carvalho de Aguiar, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Maria Concepción Garcia Otaduy
- Laboratório de Ressonância Magnética em Neurorradiologia (LIM-44) da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, 250 Dr. Enéas Carvalho de Aguiar, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Maria da Graça Morais Martin
- Laboratório de Ressonância Magnética em Neurorradiologia (LIM-44) da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, 250 Dr. Enéas Carvalho de Aguiar, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Claudia Kimie Suemoto
- Biobank for Aging Studies, University of São Paulo, 455 Dr. Arnaldo, São Paulo, SP, CEP 01246-903, Brazil
| | - Lea T Grinberg
- Biobank for Aging Studies, University of São Paulo, 455 Dr. Arnaldo, São Paulo, SP, CEP 01246-903, Brazil
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Claudia Costa Leite
- Laboratório de Ressonância Magnética em Neurorradiologia (LIM-44) da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, 250 Dr. Enéas Carvalho de Aguiar, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Carlos Tomaz
- Faculty of Medicine, Euro-American University Center-UNIEURO, Asa Sul, Brasilia, DF, CEP 70297-400, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Nitrini
- Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Group, Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo, 255 Dr. Enéas Carvalho de Aguiar, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05403-000, Brazil.
- Biobank for Aging Studies, University of São Paulo, 455 Dr. Arnaldo, São Paulo, SP, CEP 01246-903, Brazil.
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Cebeiro A, Key A. Captive bonobos (Pan paniscus) apply precision grips when using flaked stone tools. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 183:e24759. [PMID: 37218536 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Current evidence suggests that flaked stone tool technologies did not emerge until ~3.3-2.6 million-years-ago (Ma). It is often hypothesized that early hominin (principally Ardipithecus and early Australopithecus) manual anatomy may have prevented an earlier emergence, as the forceful precision grips essential to flake tool-use may have been ineffectively performed by these species. Marzke, Marchant, McGrew, and Reece (2015) observed potentially forceful pad-to-side precision grips being recruited by wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) during feeding behaviors, indicating that Pan-like manual anatomy, and therefore potentially early hominin anatomy, may be capable of effectively securing flake stone tools during their use. MATERIALS AND METHODS Here, we report on the grips recruited by four captive, human-trained, bonobos (Pan paniscus) during the use of stone and organic tools, including flake stone tools during cutting behaviors. RESULTS It is revealed that pad-to-side precision grips are frequently recruited by these bonobos when securing stone flakes during cutting actions. In some instances, high forces could have been resisted and applied by the thumb and fingers. DISCUSSION While our analyzes are preliminary and limited to captive individuals, and Pan is not suggested to secure flakes with the same efficacy as Homo or Australopithecus, it points to early hominins potentially being able to perform the precision grips required to use flake stone tools. In turn, the ability to gain tangible benefits from the effective use of flake tools (i.e., gain energetic returns from processing food resources) may have been - at least anatomically - possible in early Australopithecus and other pre-Early Stone Age hominin species. In turn, hominin manual anatomy may not be a leading restriction on the emergence of the earliest stone tool technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adela Cebeiro
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Alastair Key
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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10
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Pascual-Garrido A, Carvalho S, Almeida-Warren K. Primate archaeology 3.0. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 183:e24835. [PMID: 37671610 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
The new field of primate archaeology investigates the technological behavior and material record of nonhuman primates, providing valuable comparative data on our understanding of human technological evolution. Yet, paralleling hominin archaeology, the field is largely biased toward the analysis of lithic artifacts. While valuable comparative data have been gained through an examination of extant nonhuman primate tool use and its archaeological record, focusing on this one single aspect provides limited insights. It is therefore necessary to explore to what extent other non-technological activities, such as non-tool aided feeding, traveling, social behaviors or ritual displays, leave traces that could be detected in the archaeological record. Here we propose four new areas of investigation which we believe have been largely overlooked by primate archaeology and that are crucial to uncovering the full archaeological potential of the primate behavioral repertoire, including that of our own: (1) Plant technology; (2) Archaeology beyond technology; (3) Landscape archaeology; and (4) Primate cultural heritage. We discuss each theme in the context of the latest developments and challenges, as well as propose future directions. Developing a more "inclusive" primate archaeology will not only benefit the study of primate evolution in its own right but will aid conservation efforts by increasing our understanding of changes in primate-environment interactions over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Pascual-Garrido
- Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, Institute of Human Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Susana Carvalho
- Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, Institute of Human Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Gorongosa National Park, Sofala, Mozambique
| | - Katarina Almeida-Warren
- Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, Institute of Human Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
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Bandini E, Tennie C. Naïve, adult, captive chimpanzees do not socially learn how to make and use sharp stone tools. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22733. [PMID: 38123639 PMCID: PMC10733399 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49780-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Although once regarded as a unique human feature, tool-use is widespread in the animal kingdom. Some of the most proficient tool-users are our closest living relatives, chimpanzees. These repertoires however consist primarily of tool use, rather than tool manufacture (for later use). Furthermore, most populations of chimpanzees use organic materials, such as sticks and leaves, rather than stones as tools. This distinction may be partly ecological, but it is also important as chimpanzees are often used as models for the evolution of human material culture, the oldest traces of which consist of manufactured sharp stone tools (so-called "flakes"). Thus, examining the conditions (if any) under which chimpanzees may develop flake manufacture and use can provide insight into the drivers of these behaviours in our own lineage. Previous studies on non-human apes' ability to make and use flakes focused on enculturated apes, giving them full demonstrations of the behaviour immediately, without providing social information on the task in a stepwise manner. Here we tested naïve, captive chimpanzees (N = 4; three potentially enculturated and one unenculturated subject) in a social learning experimental paradigm to investigate whether enculturated and/or unenculturated chimpanzees would develop flake making and use after social information of various degrees (including a human demonstration) was provided in a scaffolded manner. Even though social learning opportunities were provided, neither the unenculturated subject nor any of the potentially enculturated subjects made or used flakes, in stark contrast to previous studies with enculturated apes. These data suggest that flake manufacture and use is outside of our tested group of captive chimpanzees' individual and social learning repertoires. It also suggests that high levels of enculturation alongside human demonstrations (and/or training) may be required before captive chimpanzees can develop this behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Bandini
- Department of Geosciences, Working Group Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Claudio Tennie
- Department of Geosciences, Working Group Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Plank Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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Rodriguez RD, Tavares MC, Brucki SM, Takada LT, Otaduy MC, da Graça Morais Martin M, Suemoto C, Grinberg L, Leite C, Tomaz C, Nitrini R. Bearded capuchin monkey as a model for Alzheimer's disease research. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3495799. [PMID: 38106066 PMCID: PMC10723548 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3495799/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
The absence of a natural animal model is one of the main challenges in Alzheimer's disease research. Despite the challenges of using non-human primates in studies, they can bridge mouse models and humans, as non-human primates are phylogenetically close to humans and can spontaneously develop AD-type pathology. The capuchin monkey, a New World primate, has recently attracted attention due to its skill in creating and using instruments. We analyzed three capuchin brains using structural 7T MRI and neuropathological evaluation. Alzheimer-type pathology was found in one case. Widespread β-amyloid pathology mainly in the form of focal deposits with variable morphology and high density of mature plaques. Noteworthy, plaque-associated dystrophic neurites, associated with disrupted of axonal transport and early cytoskeletal alteration, were frequently found. Unlike other species of New World monkeys, cerebral arterial angiopathy was not the predominant form of β-amyloid pathology. Additionally, abnormal aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau, resembling neurofibrillary pathology, were observed in the temporal and frontal cortex. Besides, astrocyte hypertrophy surrounding plaques was found, suggesting a neuroinflammatory response. Aged capuchin monkeys can spontaneously develop Alzheimer-type pathology, indicating that they may be an advantageous animal model for research in Alzheimer's disease.
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13
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Reeves JS, Proffitt T, Almeida-Warren K, Luncz LV. Modeling Oldowan tool transport from a primate perspective. J Hum Evol 2023; 181:103399. [PMID: 37356333 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Living nonhuman primates have long served as a referential framework for understanding various aspects of hominin biological and cultural evolution. Comparing the cognitive, social, and ecological contexts of nonhuman primate and hominin tool use has allowed researchers to identify key adaptations relevant to the evolution of hominin behavior. Although the Oldowan is often considered to be a major evolutionary milestone, it has been argued that the Oldowan is rather an extension of behaviors already present in the ape lineage. This is based on the fact that while apes move tools through repeated, unplanned, short-distance transport bouts, they produce material patterning often associated with long-distance transport, planning, and foresight in the Oldowan. Nevertheless, remain fundamental differences in how Oldowan core and flake technology and nonhuman primate tools are used. The goal of the Oldowan hominins is to produce sharp-edged flakes, whereas nonhuman primates use stone tools primarily as percussors. Here, we present an agent-based model that investigates the explanatory power of the ape tool transport model in light of these differences. The model simulates the formation of the Oldowan record under the conditions of an accumulated short-distance transport pattern, as seen in extant chimpanzees. Our results show that while ape tool transport can account for some of the variation observed in the archaeological record, factors related to use-life duration severely limit how far an Oldowan core can be moved through repeated short-distance transport bouts. Thus, the ape tool transport has limitations in its ability to explain patterns in the Oldowan. These results provide a basis for discussing adaptive processes that would have facilitated the development of the Oldowan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan S Reeves
- Technological Primates Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig, 04103, Germany; Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, 800 2nd Street, NW, 20052, USA.
| | - Tomos Proffitt
- Technological Primates Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Katarina Almeida-Warren
- Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, Institute of Human Sciences, University of Oxford, 64 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6PN, UK; Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArEHB), Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Lydia V Luncz
- Technological Primates Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig, 04103, Germany; Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, 800 2nd Street, NW, 20052, USA
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14
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Harmand S, Arroyo A. Linking primatology and archaeology: The transversality of stone percussive behaviors. J Hum Evol 2023; 181:103398. [PMID: 37329870 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Since the launch of the Journal of Human Evolution fifty years ago, the archaeology of human origins and the evolution of culture have witnessed major breakthroughs with the identification of several new archaeological sites whose chronology has been slowly pushed back until the discovery of the earliest evidence of stone tool making at Lomekwi 3 (West Turkana, Kenya), at 3.3 Ma. Parallel to these discoveries, the study of wild primates, especially chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), allowed the development of models to understand key aspects of the behavior of extinct hominin species. Indeed, chimpanzees possess an impressive diversity of tool-aided foraging behaviors, demonstrating that technology (and culture) is not exclusive to humans. Additionally, current research has also shown that wild capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) and long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) also rely on stone percussive foraging behaviors. The investigation of these primates is boosting new interpretative models to understand the origins of stone flaking and the archaeological signature left by these primates. This review aims to present an examination of the state-of-the-art and the current advances made in the study of the earliest hominin technology and primate percussive behaviors. Overall, we argue that while it has been shown that extant primates can generate unintentional flakes, early hominins exhibited skills in the production and use of flakes not identified in primates. Nonetheless, we stand up to continue developing interdisciplinary approaches (i.e., primate archaeology) to study extant primates, as these endeavors are essential to move forward toward a detailed understanding of the technological foraging behaviors beyond the genus Homo. Finally, we discuss future challenges for the study of the emergence of stone technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Harmand
- Turkana Basin Institute, Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-4364, USA; TRACES (Travaux et Recherches Archéologiques sur les Cultures, les Espaces et les Sociétés), UMR 5608 of the CNRS, Jean Jaurès University, Toulouse, 31058, France; IFRA Nairobi, Institut Français de Recherche en Afrique, UMIFRE, USR, 3336, CNRS, Kenya.
| | - Adrián Arroyo
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007, Tarragona, Spain; Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Àrea de Prehistòria, Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002, Tarragona, Spain.
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15
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Proffitt T, Reeves JS, Braun DR, Malaivijitnond S, Luncz LV. Wild macaques challenge the origin of intentional tool production. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade8159. [PMID: 36897944 PMCID: PMC10005173 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade8159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Intentionally produced sharp-edged stone flakes and flaked pieces are our primary evidence for the emergence of technology in our lineage. This evidence is used to decipher the earliest hominin behavior, cognition, and subsistence strategies. Here, we report on the largest lithic assemblage associated with a primate foraging behavior undertaken by long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis). This behavior results in a landscape-wide record of flaked stone material, almost indistinguishable from early hominin flaked pieces and flakes. It is now clear that the production of unintentional conchoidal sharp-edged flakes can result from tool-assisted foraging in nonhominin primates. Comparisons with Plio-Pleistocene lithic assemblages, dating from 3.3 to 1.56 million years ago, show that flakes produced by macaques fall within the technological range of artifacts made by early hominins. In the absence of behavioral observations, the assemblage produced by monkeys would likely be identified as anthropogenic in origin and interpreted as evidence of intentional tool production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomos Proffitt
- Technological Primates Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jonathan S. Reeves
- Technological Primates Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - David R. Braun
- Technological Primates Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Suchinda Malaivijitnond
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- National Primate Research Center of Thailand, Chulalongkorn University, Saraburi, Thailand
| | - Lydia V. Luncz
- Technological Primates Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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16
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Cazenave M, Kivell TL. Challenges and perspectives on functional interpretations of australopith postcrania and the reconstruction of hominin locomotion. J Hum Evol 2023; 175:103304. [PMID: 36563461 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In 1994, Hunt published the 'postural feeding hypothesis'-a seminal paper on the origins of hominin bipedalism-founded on the detailed study of chimpanzee positional behavior and the functional inferences derived from the upper and lower limb morphology of the Australopithecus afarensis A.L. 288-1 partial skeleton. Hunt proposed a model for understanding the potential selective pressures on hominins, made robust, testable predictions based on Au. afarensis functional morphology, and presented a hypothesis that aimed to explain the dual functional signals of the Au. afarensis and, more generally, early hominin postcranium. Here we synthesize what we have learned about Au. afarensis functional morphology and the dual functional signals of two new australopith discoveries with relatively complete skeletons (Australopithecus sediba and StW 573 'Australopithecus prometheus'). We follow this with a discussion of three research approaches that have been developed for the purpose of drawing behavioral inferences in early hominins: (1) developments in the study of extant apes as models for understanding hominin origins; (2) novel and continued developments to quantify bipedal gait and locomotor economy in extant primates to infer the locomotor costs from the anatomy of fossil taxa; and (3) novel developments in the study of internal bone structure to extract functional signals from fossil remains. In conclusion of this review, we discuss some of the inherent challenges of the approaches and methodologies adopted to reconstruct the locomotor modes and behavioral repertoires in extinct primate taxa, and notably the assessment of habitual terrestrial bipedalism in early hominins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Cazenave
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA; Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK; Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
| | - Tracy L Kivell
- Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK; Centre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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17
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Luncz LV, Braun DR, Marreiros J, Bamford M, Zeng C, Pacome SS, Junghenn P, Buckley Z, Yao X, Carvalho S. Chimpanzee wooden tool analysis advances the identification of percussive technology. iScience 2022; 25:105315. [PMID: 36304114 PMCID: PMC9593238 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of humans to mediate environmental variation through tool use is likely the key to our success. However, our current knowledge of early cultural evolution derives almost exclusively from studies of stone tools and fossil bones found in the archaeological record. Tools made of plants are intrinsically perishable, and as such are almost entirely absent in the early record of human material culture. Modern human societies as well as nonhuman primate species use plant materials for tools far more often than stone, suggesting that current archaeological data are missing a substantial component of ancient technology. Here, we develop methods that quantify internal and external damage pattern in percussive wooden tools of living primates. Our work shows that the inflicted damage is irreversible, potentially persisting throughout fossilization processes. This research presents opportunities to investigate organic artifacts, a significant and highly neglected aspect of technological evolution within the Primate order. Chimpanzee percussive foraging leaves permanent damage on wooden tools Percussive activities leave diagnostic patterns visible in 2D images and 3D surfaces Machine learning can diagnose damage patterns even when details are obscured Percussive activities produce irreversible damage to the internal structure of wood
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia V. Luncz
- Technological Primates Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103, Germany,Primate Models for Behavioral Evolution Lab, Institute of Human Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX26PN, UK,Corresponding author
| | - David R. Braun
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Joao Marreiros
- Laboratory for Traceology and Controlled Experiments, MONREPOS-RGZM, Schloss Monrepos, Neuwied, 56567, Germany,ICArEHB, Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behavior FCHS, Universidade do Algarve, Faro 8005, Portugal
| | - Marion Bamford
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa
| | - Chen Zeng
- Department of Physics and Data Science Program, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | | | - Patrick Junghenn
- Department of Physics and Data Science Program, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Zachary Buckley
- Department of Physics and Data Science Program, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Xinyu Yao
- Department of Physics and Data Science Program, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Susana Carvalho
- Primate Models for Behavioral Evolution Lab, Institute of Human Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX26PN, UK,ICArEHB, Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behavior FCHS, Universidade do Algarve, Faro 8005, Portugal,Gorongosa National Park, Sofala, Mozambique
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18
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A primate model for the origin of flake technology. J Hum Evol 2022; 171:103250. [PMID: 36122461 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
When and how human ancestors first used tools remains unknown, despite intense research into the origins of technology. It has been hypothesized that the evolutionary roots of stone flake technology has its origin in percussive behavior. Before intentional stone flaking, hominins potentially engaged in various percussive behaviors resulting in accidental flake detachments. We refer to this scenario as the 'by-product hypothesis.' In this scenario, repeated detachments of sharp stone fragments eventually resulted in intentional flake production. Here, we tested the circumstances of accidental flake production as a by-product of percussive foraging in wild capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) from Brazil, the only nonhuman primate known to habitually produce sharp-edged flakes through a percussive behavior. We conducted field experiments where we tested the potential for accidental flake production during nut cracking. We provided three different types of stone with varied material properties as anvils to assess the circumstances in which accidental production of sharp-edged flakes occurs during nut cracking. A further freehand knapping experiment, with the raw material that exhibited accidental flake detachments, allows a direct comparison of flakes that have been intentionally produced by an experienced knapper and flakes produced during nut cracking by capuchin monkeys. Our results show that raw material quality and morphology significantly affect the rate of sharp-edged flake production as well as the resulting lithic signature of this behavior. In addition, accidental flakes produced during capuchin nut cracking on highly isotropic raw material are similar in many respects to intentionally produced flakes by a human knapper. Our field experiments highlight the fact that nut-cracking behavior can lead to the unintentional production of substantial quantities of sharp-edged flakes and therefore supports the 'by-product hypothesis' as a potential mechanism for the emergence of hominin flake technology.
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Proffitt T, Reeves JS, Pacome SS, Luncz LV. Identifying functional and regional differences in chimpanzee stone tool technology. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220826. [PMID: 36147934 PMCID: PMC9490349 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The earliest hominin archaeological sites preserve a record of stone tools used for cutting and pounding. Traditionally, sharp-edged flakes were seen as the primary means by which our earliest ancestors interacted with the world. The importance of pounding tools is increasingly apparent. In some cases, they have been compared with stone hammers and anvils used by chimpanzees for nut-cracking. However, there has been little focus on providing a robust descriptive and quantitative characterization of chimpanzee stone tools, allowing for meaningful comparisons between chimpanzee groups and with archaeological artefacts. Here we apply a primate archaeological approach to characterize the range of chimpanzee nut-cracking stone tools from Djouroutou in the Taï National Park. By combining a techno-typological analysis, and two- and three-dimensional measures of damage, we identify clear differences in the location and extent of damage between nut-cracking hammerstones and anvils used at Djouroutou and when compared with other wild chimpanzee populations. Furthermore, we discuss these results in relation to interpretations of Plio-Pleistocene percussive technology. We highlight potential difficulties in identifying the underlying function of percussive artefacts based on morphological or techno-typological attributes alone. The material record from Djouroutou represents an important new datum of chimpanzee regional and material culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomos Proffitt
- Technological Primates Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jonathan. S. Reeves
- Technological Primates Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Soiret Serge Pacome
- Laboratoire de Zoologie et de Biologie Animale, Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, 22 BP 582 Abidjan 22, Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa
| | - Lydia. V. Luncz
- Technological Primates Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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20
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Emmitt J, Masoud-Ansari S, Phillipps R, Middleton S, Graydon J, Holdaway S. Machine learning for stone artifact identification: Distinguishing worked stone artifacts from natural clasts using deep neural networks. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271582. [PMID: 35947537 PMCID: PMC9365149 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Stone artifacts are often the most abundant class of objects found in archaeological sites but their consistent identification is limited by the number of experienced analysts available. We report a machine learning based technology for stone artifact identification as part of a solution to the lack of such experts directed at distinguishing worked stone objects from naturally occurring lithic clasts. Three case study locations from Egypt, Australia, and New Zealand provide a data set of 6769 2D images, 3868 flaked artifact and 2901 rock images used to train and test a machine learning model based on an openly available PyTorch implementation of Faster R-CNN ResNet 50. Results indicate 100% agreement between the model and original human derived classifications, a better performance than the results achieved independently by two human analysts who reassessed the 2D images available to the machine learning model. Machine learning neural networks provide the potential to consistently assess the composition of large archaeological assemblages composed of objects modified in a variety of ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Emmitt
- School of Social Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Rebecca Phillipps
- School of Social Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Stacey Middleton
- School of Social Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jennifer Graydon
- School of Social Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Simon Holdaway
- School of Social Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Office of Research Strategy and Integrity, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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21
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Lonsdorf EV, Sanz CM. Behavioral and cognitive perspectives on the evolution of tool use from wild chimpanzees. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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22
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Masi S, Pouydebat E, San-Galli A, Meulman E, Breuer T, Reeves J, Tennie C. Free hand hitting of stone-like objects in wild gorillas. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11981. [PMID: 35840637 PMCID: PMC9287431 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15542-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The earliest stone tool types, sharp flakes knapped from stone cores, are assumed to have played a crucial role in human cognitive evolution. Flaked stone tools have been observed to be accidentally produced when wild monkeys use handheld stones as tools. Holding a stone core in hand and hitting it with another in the absence of flaking, free hand hitting, has been considered a requirement for producing sharp stone flakes by hitting stone on stone, free hand percussion. We report on five observations of free hand hitting behavior in two wild western gorillas, using stone-like objects (pieces of termite mound). Gorillas are therefore the second non-human lineage primate showing free-hand hitting behavior in the wild, and ours is the first report for free hand hitting behavior in wild apes. This study helps to shed light on the morphofunctional and cognitive requirements for the emergence of stone tool production as it shows that a prerequisite for free hand percussion (namely, free hand hitting) is part of the spontaneous behavioral repertoire of one of humans' closest relatives (gorillas). However, the ability to combine free hand hitting with the force, precision, and accuracy needed to facilitate conchoidal fracture in free hand percussion may still have been a critical watershed for hominin evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelly Masi
- Eco-Anthropologie (EA), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université Paris Cité, Musée de l'Homme 17 place du Trocadéro, 75016, Paris, France.
| | - Emmanuelle Pouydebat
- Department Adaptations du Vivant, UMR7179 MECADEV CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 55 rue Buffon, Paris, France
| | - Aurore San-Galli
- Eco-Anthropologie (EA), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université Paris Cité, Musée de l'Homme 17 place du Trocadéro, 75016, Paris, France
| | - Ellen Meulman
- Eco-Anthropologie (EA), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université Paris Cité, Musée de l'Homme 17 place du Trocadéro, 75016, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Breuer
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY, 10460, USA
- World Wide Fund for Nature - Germany, Reinhardstrasse 18, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonathan Reeves
- Department for Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, University of Tübingen, 72070, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Claudio Tennie
- Department for Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, University of Tübingen, 72070, Tübingen, Germany
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23
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Haslam M. Insights from orangutans into the evolution of tool use. Nature 2022; 604:427-428. [PMID: 35413997 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-022-00872-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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24
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Derex M. Human cumulative culture and the exploitation of natural phenomena. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200311. [PMID: 34894732 PMCID: PMC8666902 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cumulative cultural evolution (CCE)-defined as the process by which beneficial modifications are culturally transmitted and progressively accumulated over time-has long been argued to underlie the unparalleled diversity and complexity of human culture. In this paper, I argue that not just any kind of cultural accumulation will give rise to human-like culture. Rather, I suggest that human CCE depends on the gradual exploitation of natural phenomena, which are features of our environment that, through the laws of physics, chemistry or biology, generate reliable effects which can be exploited for a purpose. I argue that CCE comprises two distinct processes: optimizing cultural traits that exploit a given set of natural phenomena (Type I CCE) and expanding the set of natural phenomena we exploit (Type II CCE). I argue that the most critical features of human CCE, including its open-ended dynamic, stems from Type II CCE. Throughout the paper, I contrast the two processes and discuss their respective socio-cognitive requirements. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The emergence of collective knowledge and cumulative culture in animals, humans and machines'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Derex
- CNRS, Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, University of Toulouse 1 Capitole, France
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Bandini E, Motes-Rodrigo A, Archer W, Minchin T, Axelsen H, Hernandez-Aguilar RA, McPherron SP, Tennie C. Naïve, unenculturated chimpanzees fail to make and use flaked stone tools. OPEN RESEARCH EUROPE 2021; 1:20. [PMID: 35253007 PMCID: PMC7612464 DOI: 10.12688/openreseurope.13186.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Background: Despite substantial research on early hominin lithic technologies, the learning mechanisms underlying flake manufacture and use are contested. To draw phylogenetic inferences on the potential cognitive processes underlying the acquisition of both of these abilities in early hominins, we investigated if and how one of our closest living relatives, chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes), could learn to make and use flakes. Methods: Across several experimental conditions, we tested eleven task-naïve chimpanzees (unenculturated n=8, unknown status n=3) from two independent populations for their abilities to spontaneously make and subsequently use flakes as well as to use flakes made by a human experimenter. Results: Despite the fact that the chimpanzees seemed to understand the requirements of the task, were sufficiently motivated and had ample opportunities to develop the target behaviours, none of the chimpanzees tested made or used flakes in any of the experimental conditions. Conclusions: These results differ from all previous ape flaking experiments, which found flake manufacture and use in bonobos and one orangutan. However, these earlier studies tested human-enculturated apes and provided test subjects with flake making and using demonstrations. The contrast between these earlier positive findings and our negative findings (despite using a much larger sample size) suggests that enculturation and/or demonstrations may be necessary for chimpanzees to acquire these abilities. The data obtained in this study are consistent with the hypothesis that flake manufacture and use might have evolved in the hominin lineage after the split between Homo and Pan 7 million years ago, a scenario further supported by the initial lack of flaked stone tools in the archaeological record after this split. We discuss possible evolutionary scenarios for flake manufacture and use in both non-hominin and hominin lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Bandini
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, 72070, Germany
| | - Alba Motes-Rodrigo
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, 72070, Germany
| | - William Archer
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Tanya Minchin
- Kristiansand Zoo, Kardemomme By, Kristiansand, 4609, Norway
| | - Helene Axelsen
- Kristiansand Zoo, Kardemomme By, Kristiansand, 4609, Norway
| | - Raquel Adriana Hernandez-Aguilar
- Department of Social Psychology and Quantitative Psychology, University of Barcelona, Serra Hunter Program, Barcelona, 08035, Spain
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Oslo, NO-0316, Norway
| | - Shannon P. McPherron
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Claudio Tennie
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, 72070, Germany
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
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Yan Z. The origins of children's understanding of technologies: A focused rapid review of three approaches. HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/hbe2.269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Yan
- Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology University at Albany Albany New York USA
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Motes-Rodrigo A, Tennie C. The Method of Local Restriction: in search of potential great ape culture-dependent forms. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:1441-1461. [PMID: 33779036 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Humans possess a perhaps unique type of culture among primates called cumulative culture. In this type of culture, behavioural forms cumulate changes over time, which increases their complexity and/or efficiency, eventually making these forms culture-dependent. As changes cumulate, culture-dependent forms become causally opaque, preventing the overall behavioural form from being acquired by individuals on their own; in other words, culture-dependent forms must be copied between individuals and across generations. Despite the importance of cumulative culture for understanding the evolutionary history of our species, how and when cumulative culture evolved is still debated. One of the challenges faced when addressing these questions is how to identify culture-dependent forms that result from cumulative cultural evolution. Here we propose a novel method to identify the most likely cases of culture-dependent forms. The 'Method of Local Restriction' is based on the premise that as culture-dependent forms are repeatedly transmitted via copying, these forms will unavoidably cumulate population-specific changes (due to copying error) and therefore must be expected to become locally restricted over time. When we applied this method to our closest living relatives, the great apes, we found that most known ape behavioural forms are not locally restricted (across domains and species) and thus are unlikely to be acquired via copying. Nevertheless, we found 25 locally restricted forms across species and domains, three of which appear to be locally unique (having been observed in a single population of a single species). Locally unique forms represent the best current candidates for culture-dependent forms in non-human great apes. Besides these rare exceptions, our results show that overall, ape cultures do not rely heavily on copying, as most ape behaviours appear across sites and/or species, rendering them unlikely to be culture-dependent forms resulting from cumulative cultural evolution. Yet, the locally restricted forms (and especially the three locally unique forms) identified by our method should be tested further for their potential reliance on copying social learning mechanisms (and in turn, for their potential culture-dependence). Future studies could use the Method of Local Restriction to investigate the existence of culture-dependent forms in other animal species and in the hominin archaeological record to estimate how widespread copying is in the animal kingdom and to postulate a timeline for the emergence of copying in our lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Motes-Rodrigo
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Claudio Tennie
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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van Elk M. A predictive processing framework of tool use. Cortex 2021; 139:211-221. [PMID: 33878688 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
In this paper I introduce the theory of predictive processing as a unifying conceptual framework to account for the human ability to use and innovate tools. I explain the basic concepts of predictive processing and illustrate how this framework accounts for the development of tool use in young infants and for findings in the neuropsychological and neuroscientific literature. Then, I argue that the predictive processing model needs to be complemented with a functional-evolutionary perspective, according to which the developmental and neurocognitive mechanisms should be understood in relation to the adaptive function that tools subserve. I discuss cross-cultural and comparative studies on tool use to illustrate how tools could facilitate a process of cumulative cultural and technological evolution. Furthermore, I illustrate how central premises of the predictive processing framework, such as the notion of Bayesian inference as a general principle and the role of prediction-error-updating, speak to central debates in evolutionary psychology, such as the massive modularity hypothesis and the trade-off between exploitation and innovation. Throughout the paper I make several concrete suggestions for future studies that could be used to put the predictive processing model of tool use to the test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel van Elk
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Key AJM, Roberts DL, Jarić I. Statistical inference of earlier origins for the first flaked stone technologies. J Hum Evol 2021; 154:102976. [PMID: 33773284 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.102976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Identifying when hominins first produced Lomekwian, Oldowan, and Acheulean technologies is vital to multiple avenues of human origins research. Yet, like most archaeological endeavors, our understanding is currently only as accurate as the artifacts recovered and the sites identified. Here we use optimal linear estimation (OLE) modelling to identify the portion of the archaeological record not yet discovered, and statistically infer the date of origin of the earliest flaked stone technologies. These models provide the most accurate framework yet for understanding when hominins first produced these tool types. Our results estimate the Oldowan to have originated 2.617 to 2.644 Ma, 36,000 to 63,000 years earlier than current evidence. The Acheulean's origin is pushed back further through OLE, by at least 55,000 years to 1.815 to 1.823 Ma. We were unable to infer the Lomekwian's date of origin using OLE, but an upper bound of 5.1 million years can be inferred using alternative nonparametric techniques. These dates provide a new chronological foundation from which to understand the emergence of the first flaked stone technologies, alongside their behavioral and evolutionary implications. Moreover, they suggest there to be substantial portions of the artifact record yet to be discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alastair J M Key
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NR, UK.
| | - David L Roberts
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NR, UK
| | - Ivan Jarić
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecosystem Biology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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Orkin JD, Montague MJ, Tejada-Martinez D, de Manuel M, Del Campo J, Cheves Hernandez S, Di Fiore A, Fontsere C, Hodgson JA, Janiak MC, Kuderna LFK, Lizano E, Martin MP, Niimura Y, Perry GH, Valverde CS, Tang J, Warren WC, de Magalhães JP, Kawamura S, Marquès-Bonet T, Krawetz R, Melin AD. The genomics of ecological flexibility, large brains, and long lives in capuchin monkeys revealed with fecalFACS. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2010632118. [PMID: 33574059 PMCID: PMC7896301 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2010632118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecological flexibility, extended lifespans, and large brains have long intrigued evolutionary biologists, and comparative genomics offers an efficient and effective tool for generating new insights into the evolution of such traits. Studies of capuchin monkeys are particularly well situated to shed light on the selective pressures and genetic underpinnings of local adaptation to diverse habitats, longevity, and brain development. Distributed widely across Central and South America, they are inventive and extractive foragers, known for their sensorimotor intelligence. Capuchins have among the largest relative brain size of any monkey and a lifespan that exceeds 50 y, despite their small (3 to 5 kg) body size. We assemble and annotate a de novo reference genome for Cebus imitator Through high-depth sequencing of DNA derived from blood, various tissues, and feces via fluorescence-activated cell sorting (fecalFACS) to isolate monkey epithelial cells, we compared genomes of capuchin populations from tropical dry forests and lowland rainforests and identified population divergence in genes involved in water balance, kidney function, and metabolism. Through a comparative genomics approach spanning a wide diversity of mammals, we identified genes under positive selection associated with longevity and brain development. Additionally, we provide a technological advancement in the use of noninvasive genomics for studies of free-ranging mammals. Our intra- and interspecific comparative study of capuchin genomics provides insights into processes underlying local adaptation to diverse and physiologically challenging environments, as well as the molecular basis of brain evolution and longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D Orkin
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada;
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T38 6A8, Canada
| | - Michael J Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19146
| | - Daniela Tejada-Martinez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107
- Doctorado en Ciencias mención Ecología y Evolución, Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia 5090000, Chile
- Integrative Genomics of Ageing Group, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L7 8TX, United Kingdom
| | - Marc de Manuel
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Del Campo
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Anthony Di Fiore
- Department of Anthropology and Primate Molecular Ecology and Evolution Laboratory, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
- College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, 170901 Cumbayá, Ecuador
| | - Claudia Fontsere
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jason A Hodgson
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom
| | - Mareike C Janiak
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T38 6A8, Canada
- School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford M5 4WT, United Kingdom
| | - Lukas F K Kuderna
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Esther Lizano
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Pia Martin
- Kids Saving the Rainforest Wildlife Rescue Center, 60601 Quepos, Costa Rica
| | - Yoshihito Niimura
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - George H Perry
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | | | - Jia Tang
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Wesley C Warren
- Division of Animal Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211
| | - João Pedro de Magalhães
- Integrative Genomics of Ageing Group, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L7 8TX, United Kingdom
| | - Shoji Kawamura
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 277-8562 Chiba, Japan
| | - Tomàs Marquès-Bonet
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution of Research and Advanced Studies, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico-Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roman Krawetz
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T38 6A8, Canada
| | - Amanda D Melin
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada;
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T38 6A8, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T38 6A8, Canada
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Orkin JD, Kuderna LFK, Marques-Bonet T. The Diversity of Primates: From Biomedicine to Conservation Genomics. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2020; 9:103-124. [PMID: 33197208 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-061220-023138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Until now, the field of primate genomics has focused on two major themes: understanding human evolution and advancing biomedical research. We propose that it is now time for a third theme to receive attention: conservation genomics. As a result of anthropogenic effects, the majority of primate species have become threatened with extinction. A more robust primate conservation genomics will allow for genetically informed population management. Thanks to a steady decline in the cost of sequencing, it has now become feasible to sequence whole primate genomes at the population level. Furthermore, technological advances in noninvasive genomic methods have made it possible to acquire genome-scale data from noninvasive biomaterials. Here, we review recent advances in the analysis of primate diversity, with a focus on genomic data sets across the radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D Orkin
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, Pompeu Fabra University and Spanish National Research Council, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; , ,
| | - Lukas F K Kuderna
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, Pompeu Fabra University and Spanish National Research Council, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; , ,
| | - Tomas Marques-Bonet
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, Pompeu Fabra University and Spanish National Research Council, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; , , .,Sequencing Unit, National Genomic Analysis Center, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, 08010 Barcelona, Spain.,Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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Bandini E, Tennie C. Exploring the role of individual learning in animal tool-use. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9877. [PMID: 33033659 PMCID: PMC7521350 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The notion that tool-use is unique to humans has long been refuted by the growing number of observations of animals using tools across various contexts. Yet, the mechanisms behind the emergence and sustenance of these tool-use repertoires are still heavily debated. We argue that the current animal behaviour literature is biased towards a social learning approach, in which animal, and in particular primate, tool-use repertoires are thought to require social learning mechanisms (copying variants of social learning are most often invoked). However, concrete evidence for a widespread dependency on social learning is still lacking. On the other hand, a growing body of observational and experimental data demonstrates that various animal species are capable of acquiring the forms of their tool-use behaviours via individual learning, with (non-copying) social learning regulating the frequencies of the behavioural forms within (and, indirectly, between) groups. As a first outline of the extent of the role of individual learning in animal tool-use, a literature review of reports of the spontaneous acquisition of animal tool-use behaviours was carried out across observational and experimental studies. The results of this review suggest that perhaps due to the pervasive focus on social learning in the literature, accounts of the individual learning of tool-use forms by naïve animals may have been largely overlooked, and their importance under-examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Bandini
- Department of Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Claudio Tennie
- Department of Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Eren MI, Lycett SJ, Tomonaga M. Underestimating Kanzi? Exploring Kanzi-Oldowan comparisons in light of recent human stone tool replication. Evol Anthropol 2020; 29:310-316. [PMID: 32857904 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The knapping experiments with Kanzi, a bonobo, are among the most insightful experiments into Oldowan technology ever undertaken. Comparison of his artifacts against archeological material, however, indicated he did not produce Oldowan lithic attributes precisely, prompting suggestions that this indicated cognitive or biomechanical impediments. The literature describing the learning environment provided to Kanzi, we suggest, indicates alternative factors. Based on consideration of wild chimpanzee learning environments, and experiments with modern knappers that have looked at learning environment, we contend that Kanzi's performance was impeded by an impoverished learning environment compared to those experienced by novice Oldowan knappers. Such issues are precisely those that might be tested via a repeat study, but in this case, practical and ethical constraints likely impede this possibility. We propose experiments that may be relevant to drawing conclusions from Kanzi's experiments that may not need to use non-human primates, thus bypassing some of these issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Metin I Eren
- Department of Anthropology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA.,Department of Archaeology, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Stephen J Lycett
- Department of Anthropology, University at Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Masaki Tomonaga
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
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Language Processing. Cognition 2019. [DOI: 10.1017/9781316271988.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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36
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Methods of Cognitive Psychology. Cognition 2019. [DOI: 10.1017/9781316271988.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Cognitive Psychologists’ Approach to Research. Cognition 2019. [DOI: 10.1017/9781316271988.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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38
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Visual Imagery. Cognition 2019. [DOI: 10.1017/9781316271988.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Index. Cognition 2019. [DOI: 10.1017/9781316271988.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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40
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Decision Making and Reasoning. Cognition 2019. [DOI: 10.1017/9781316271988.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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41
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Attention. Cognition 2019. [DOI: 10.1017/9781316271988.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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42
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Long-Term Memory Structure. Cognition 2019. [DOI: 10.1017/9781316271988.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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43
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Problem Solving. Cognition 2019. [DOI: 10.1017/9781316271988.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Preface. Cognition 2019. [DOI: 10.1017/9781316271988.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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45
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Sensory and Working Memory. Cognition 2019. [DOI: 10.1017/9781316271988.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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46
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Memory Retrieval. Cognition 2019. [DOI: 10.1017/9781316271988.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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47
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Visual Perception. Cognition 2019. [DOI: 10.1017/9781316271988.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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48
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References. Cognition 2019. [DOI: 10.1017/9781316271988.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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49
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Language Structure. Cognition 2019. [DOI: 10.1017/9781316271988.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Concepts and Categories. Cognition 2019. [DOI: 10.1017/9781316271988.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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